Jonathan Duhamel won the biggest poker tournament of the year this past November when he was victorious at the World Series of Poker $10,000 no-limit hold’em main event. He came into the final table as the chip leader and he held all of the chips by the end of play. He was awarded $8,944,138 in prize money and he was further rewarded by recently getting signed to Team PokerStars pro. Card Player caught up with Duhamel in the Bahamas and he talked about some of the ways his life has changed since becoming the world champion.
Card Player: How did it feel to recently be added to Team PokerStars pro?
Jonathan Duhamel: It feels good because it’s the biggest site in the world. To have a chance to represent them is a big honor for me. It makes me proud of my achievements and I’m very happy to be with them.
CP: What are some of your plans for the coming year as a Team PokerStars pro and an ambassador for poker as the world champion?
JD: I guess for now I’m going to play in as many live tournaments as I can and try to make another deep run. Other than that I’m not sure, I think I will try to do my best with that.
CP: What is a way your life has changed since the main event final table that you didn’t expect?
JD: People recognize me a lot. I do a lot more interviews and things like that but it’s all
fun. I also have to change my game a little bit because people are playing a little bit different against me. They saw my game on TV so they try to make some plays and I need to adjust to that. It’s going to be a new challenge for me to change my game and keep improving.
CP: Have you been able to go back and watch the final-table episodes yet? What were your impressions of it?
JD: I did watch the show when it aired on ESPN. I think the show was very good. There were only two heads-up hands that they showed but the rest was good. It would be cool if they could do a two or three hour show of the final that would be cool. I think it was fine; there was a lot of expression of the fun and everyone there.
CP: Did you enjoy watching the huge hand where you and Joseph Cheong were firing preflop raises back and forth at each other?
JD: Even if I got in with the best I wasn’t sure to win it, but it was fun to watch it.
CP: Do you have any plans to get involved with poker in your native Quebec or Montreal?
JD: If it is possible. There is a just a little bit of poker in the casinos there at this point. If it is possible maybe adding a _NAPT- event there would be cool.
